TOS Presents: A Christmas Carol
by Diana Artemis Irving
Summary: While playing Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol', Kratos gets a second chance at life with his wife and son, as well as everyone in the game getting their own Christmas miracles...Rated T for my own and Zelos's language.
1. The Casting

A/N: Heyaz! I know that I'm FAR from finishing Zelos OneHalf, but the holiday season's coming up, and I just can't pass up this opportunity! My sister helped me out on this, so some of the credit goes to her, even though we kept disagreeing over who would be who. But it's settled now and that's all that matters!

Summary: _While playing Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol', Kratos gets a second chance at life with his wife and son, as well as everyone in the game getting their own Christmas miracles…_

**And now…the disclaimer! Starring Noishe!**

**Noishe/whine/**

**Diana: Uh…sorry, what was that?**

**Noishe/whine/**

**Diana: I should have picked a different disclaimer…- -;**

**Noishe/whine/**

**Diana: Okay, I'll do it. I, Diana Artemis Irving, do not own Charles Dickenson's play _A Christmas Carol_, _OR_ Namco's _Tales of Symphonia_. But that doesn't mean I can't ask for its ownership for Christmas!**

**Noishe/whine/whine/whine/**

**Diana: Hey Noishe, why are you acting so scared?**

**Noishe/whine/runs away/**

**Diana: HEY! COME BACK HERE! …was it something I said…?**

Kratos walked along the streets of Flanoir, watching as people put up Christmas decorations, went about their Christmas shopping, song carols, but also; he saw the impoverished.

There were many who held out cans, asking for money, and he even saw one lady have to sadly pull away her child from a store display, telling her not to get her hopes up this year.

Most people who see this would feel saddened, sympathetic, or at the very least humbled; but Kratos was the exception. He walked by indifferently, a letter held in his hand. It was from the terror that had her heart set on owning Tales of Symphonia, Diana. It was an invitation, actually more like a threat, to come to the Flanoir Cathedral.

"_Everyone will be there, so it's not like you're the only one in trouble..."_

By everyone, he assumed she meant Lloyd and the rest of his friends who reunited the two worlds. He hadn't seen them for awhile, so he supposed that was what really convinced him to come here.

As the cathedral came into view, Kratos stopped and looked at the balcony where he had talked to his son about his past. Now that he thought about it, it seemed both as if it wee yesterday, and at the same time as though it were years ago. He might have stood there for awhile longer, but reminiscing was not something he would allow himself be caught doing.

Besides, the noise coming from the cathedral was nearly impossible to ignore, _What the hell are they doing in there!_

So he then opened the door, and almost wished he hadn't.

The altar at the front was gone and replaced by a stage, where various people were trying to hang the curtains. Various other people were scattered throughout, painting sceneries, building props and sets, and sewing costumes. And yet more others were sitting or standing in the pews, practicing from packets Kratos could only assume were scripts.

"Oh hell no..."

"Oh hell yes!"

Diana walked towards him with a rather smug look on her face, followed by her sister Ana (**_NOT_** to be confused with Anna!)

Before she could say anything to him, Kratos shook his head, "There's no way I'd help you with your play."

This only caused her to beam, "You're a poet and you didn't know it!" She then scribbled something onto a pad of paper, "You've got way too much talent for me to waste you as a mere stagehand..." She then ripped off the top page and handed it to him, "Here's your number; you're auditioning."

Kratos gave her an indignant look, "This is the most harebrained scheme you've pulled yet!"

"Nah, it's not harebrained; Zelos is." She pointed over her shoulder at Zelos, who was doing an impersonation of a rabbit, "Seriously though, this part is well suited to you. I think you might learn a few things from it..."

Ana then handed him a copy of the script and the two walked off to start the auditions. Kratos sighed, knowing there was no way out of this if he wanted to keep his ears looking even slightly human. But just as he thought things couldn't get any worse...

"Kratos-chan!"

He only dodged in time as a hyperactive Yuan came hurtling out of nowhere, "Kratos! Kratos! Kratos! Kratos! Kratos-!"

"Enough, Yuan! What are you doing here?"

Yuan tried to keep from grinning as he attempted a serious face, "I can ask you the same thing!"

Kratos sighed; obviously, somebody had been feeding his friend a bit too much cheese...

"Hello there, Kratos! I never thought you'd show up, of all people."

He turned to find Mithos standing there with a script in hand, "So who are you trying out for?"

Kratos glared, "I am not trying out for anything! And I thought you were dead!"

Mithos shrugged, "Diana was short on people for a production of _A Christmas Carol_, so she asked the actual goddess for permission to temporarily resurrect a few people; me being among them."

Kratos narrowed his eyes suspiciously; some people killed in their quest had been better off dead, "Like whom?"

"Oh let's see...the Five Grand Cardinals...Pronyma...that angel Remiel...the Renegade dude Botta...oh yeah, and some girl named Anna-"

"Anna! She's here!"

Mithos suddenly realized what he said, "Uh...there's some other guy too! And there's-"

"Where is Anna!" Kratos grabbed Mithos's shoulders and began to shake him violently. Mithos, shocked as he was, could do nothing but point weakly in the direction of the stage, "She's trying out..."

Without another word, Kratos dropped Mithos there and ran to where he had pointed, causing a few people to stare. Yuan, who had just come out of his hyperactive reverie, stared soberly after Kratos, "Poor guy...and you said this was temporary, right Mithos?"

Mithos got off the ground and dusted himself off, "Yeah, we're not supposed to be alive; this is just a special favor since Diana really needs a lot more people in her cast."

Meanwhile, Diana was reading off the names of people, who had made it and their parts,

"Alrighty then! Lloyd Irving gets two parts: Scrooge's Nephew and Young Scrooge!"

Lloyd grinned not-so-modestly as people applauded and Collette beamed proudly at him, "Yay Lloyd! I knew you could do it!"

"Speaking of which, Collette Brunel won the part of Scrooge's Nephew's Wife!"

Collette blushed a huge shade of red, which she hoped no one noticed. Lloyd returned the favor to her however, by giving her a quick hug, "Alright! I knew you could do it Collette!"

"And Genis Sage wins the ever-so-famous part of Tiny Tim!"

Cries of 'Go Genis!' and 'Congratulations, man!' were heard as Genis grinned, "Aw, it was nothing!"

"Yeah, it _was_ nothing! Sorry kid, but _I'm_ going to steal the show!" Zelos, like Lloyd, faked no modesty.

"Oh yeah! You don't even have a part yet! Fireball!"

And that is why Zelos could be found later pouring a bucket of water over his slightly-charred behind.

"And his older sister Raine Sage gets to play the part of The Ghost of Christmas Past!"

"Yay Professor! You got an awesomely cool part!"

"Why thank you Lloyd, but that's not going to get you an A on your failed Mathematics test..."

"Damn it..."

"And Sheena Fujibayashi is Martha Cratchit!"

"Yeah! That's my favorite hunny!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME ZELOS!"

Zelos, luckily for him, was able to survive her wrath since his name was called next:

"Zelos Wilder shall play the Ghost of Christmas Present!"

"Oh yeah! Beat that, you little brat! I got an _important_ part!"

Further argument was prevented as Ana drew her ultra-long staff, "...quiet..."

The rest sat down quietly and obediently.

"Uh...thank you Ana..." Diana shifted uncomfortably since the really-dangerous-staff was still out, "Um...Presea Combatir wins the part of Fan!"

"Yeah Presea! Congratulations!"

Presea smiled slightly, "Th...Thank you Genis..."

"Hey Genis...why are you blushing?"

"I'm...I'm not! Shut up Lloyd!"

"That aside, Regal Bryant shall play Marley!"

He nodded politely as his fellow cast members applauded, "Thank you."

"Come on there, Regal, my man! Ya got a big part, you know, being a character and a narrator and all!"

Sheena narrowed her eyes at Zelos, "You're just trying to suck up to him again, aren't you?"

"Mithos will play Peter Cratchit!"

"YAH! GO MITHOS-CHAN!"

Yuan suddenly stopped cheering when he noticed people staring at him oddly, "...was it something I said...?"

"And Yggdrasil will play Old Joe!"

The other cast members exchanged looks, "Huh? Aren't Mithos and Yggdrasil the same person?"

Diana shrugged, "Sorry, they're under different names! Now, Cacao will be playing Mrs. Cratchit."

"Yay mom!"

Lloyd turned and saw to his dismay that Cacao and Chocolat were in the pews with the other cast members. When he heard that some dead people they had met would be resurrected, he hoped one of them would be Marble; but as far as he knew, she was still dead.

"And Chocolat will play Belinda Cratchit!"

She looked happy to hear that she had won a part, and Lloyd quickly turned away from the scene. He hoped desperately that they wouldn't be on stage together; even after the worlds were reunited, they still couldn't get along. Nothing could change what he had been forced to do.

"Pietro will be playing Dick!"

There was polite applause as Pietro nodded, acknowledging them. Lloyd remembered how he had been one of the few to escape the Desians' human ranches and had been rather helpful to them later on.

"Forcystus, Magnius, Rhodyle, Kvar, Pronyma, Remiel, Frank and Phaidra Brunel, as well as various other Flanoir citizens will be playing assorted parts. And now...the moment you all have been waiting for...Scrooge will be played by none other than...Kratos Aurion!"

Kratos's eyes widened as people applauded, "Wait, I did not try out for that part, let alone any other!"

Diana smiled secretly, "But you got it anyways, didn't you? Which reminds me; we still have one more part to announce!" She waited until everyone had settled down and read off the paper, "And Scrooge's Lost Love will be played by Anna Aurion!"

There was applause again, and as she stood up, Kratos felt his heart stop. After all those years...he could finally see her again. She looked the same, her smile at least was still the same; and her unique ability to melt his ice-cold exterior apparently had not diminished either.

"Well that's it! Come back here tomorrow for the first rehearsal, and have a safe trip home!"

As the other cast members got up from the pews to leave, Kratos pushed his way through the crowd to find Anna, "Anna! Anna!"

She turned to see him, and for the two, it was as if the rest of the world had melted away. The emotions held in their eyes were innumerable; happiness, sorrow, betrayal, passion, but also a strange sort of joy.

"Kratos...?"

Before she could stop herself, she collapsed on the floor in tears, "Kratos!"

Oblivious to the now-gathering crowd around them, Kratos ran forward and gathered her up in his arms, "There, there Anna...I'm right here..."

"Dad? Mom?"

They both turned and saw that among the crowd, Lloyd was there. Collette was with him, but slowly backed away; shooing others as well, knowing it was a moment meant only for the estranged family of three to share.

_I'm so happy for them! They're finally together! They can be a family again, and just in time for Christmas!_

Collette, being her usual optimistic self, was in high spirits as she helped Diana and Ana prepare the cathedral for the next day's rehearsal, _It'll be great; they won't have to be sad when they think of each other anymore! This will be the best play and the best Christmas ever!_

A/N: Hmm...is Collette right? Or is she way off the mark? Find out next time in TOS Presents: A Christmas Carol! ((...now I feel like the weird DBZ announcer Ana thinks is hilarious...- -;;)) By the way, I personally don't think this chapter was that great; but this is the beginning! You all know how this will turn out with the TOS characters performing…


	2. Yuan's Christmas Surprise

A/N: Okay, I know I haven't been able to update, but my sister keeps losing the script, there was an assassination attempt on me during gym ((dodgeball…that's all you need to know…)) as well as me getting grounded from the computer. But I have snuck on it anyways, just to give you your fanfics! That's how much I love thee! And now for the reviews!

**Sargent Snarky:** Heh, yeah; I think I might have gotten his last name mixed up with hers…again…Anyways, I thought portraying Yuan like that would be too funny…and yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise, but like any attentive reader, you hath realized that Yuan would end up playing the Ghost of Christmas Future. Ah well…but that doesn't mean Kratos has to know that too…

**StrawberryEggs:** Yay! You've read this story too! Heh, with the TOS cast starring; the production might not go as planned…oops! Keep that semi-spoiler to yourself!

**And now for the disclaimer!**

**Diana: Hmm…come to think of it, who should do the disclaimer…?**

**Collette: Ooh! Let me do it!**

**Diana: Okay!**

**Collette: Neither does Diana OR Ana own Tales of Symphonia OR _A Christmas Carol_. Even though Diana can never remember that it's Charles Dickens, not Dickenson-**

**Diana: Okay! That's all ya need to say/nudges Collette to the Flanoir Cathedral/ Ya might want to go there…**

**Collette: But I didn't tell them about how you-**

**Diana: CAMERA PEOPLE! START THE STORY FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT WORSHIPS ICE CREAM!**

A/N: **_THIS IS IMPORTANT!_** /cough/ Anyways, just to let you know, I don't know EXACTLY how Martel died, so I made it up. Please understand that it might not be the real thing, and that I acknowledge it! Thank you, and enjoy the show!

It was about a week after the casting, and dress rehearsal was beginning. There was a table set up backstage with hot chocolate, coffee, pound cake ((since Lloyd and Diana could not stand Fruit Cake)), candy canes, and random assortments of chocolate covered…stuff.

Mostly everyone was ready, except for Kratos…

He glared at Ana, "No! This has gone far enough! I will NOT wear this costume!"

Ana glared back, "Wear the costume…"

Diana could be heard in the background, "Dress rehearsal starts in five minutes!"

Kratos shook his head, "I will simply perform as I am now."

Ana continued to glare blankly at him, "Wear it…or else…"

Anna ((the OTHER one…sigh Why did they have to share names…!)) was passing by, already in costume, "Kratos, could you please wear it; for the sake of the play?"

It seemed that she had changed his mind, "All right then." He went into his dressing room, which had previously been a priest's office with a piece of notebook paper taped on the door with _Kratos _written on it in BAD handwriting.

"…thank you…Anna…"

Anna smiled, "It's no trouble at all! Anything for another Anna!"

Meanwhile, Regal and Lloyd were sitting on the stage, coffee mugs in hand and already in costume.

"So…how'd you like your role so far?"

"It's interesting enough. Apparently I am a character as well as the narrator."

"Really…?" Lloyd nodded slowly, thinking of his roles, "Well…I'm important."

"I'm sure you are…"

"Two minutes! Get into your places peoples!"

They got up from the stage to make way for the others who were placing props in their respective positions. Because Diana was so short on people, the cast had to help out when they weren't performing.

"Hey, where's Kratos!"

Yuan was nearby, so he obliged by knocking on his door, "Kratos! They're gonna start! You better hurry up!"

"I'm not going out there…"

Yuan raised an eyebrow; it couldn't be _that_ bad. Besides, they were all in costume, so it wasn't like he would be making a fool of himself.

"Come on Kratos! The rehearsal's in less than two minutes!"

"Fine, but you _better_ not laugh…"

The door opened, and Yuan, true to Kratos's word, nearly died of laughter.

The costume itself was pretty normal, or at least would be in the norm if they were in 19th Century England. It was the hair that was hilarious.

"They made you put on a wig! And it's white! Haha, Kratos is oooooolllllllddddd!"

Kratos glared, "This is for Anna, not anyone else."

Yuan stopped laughing long enough to grin, "Which one! Mind you, that Ana is kinda freaky, but if you want to be a two-timer-"

This time, Kratos smacked Yuan across the face, "Don't you _ever_ joke about that again."

Yuan lost the grin, "Okay. Sorry."

He sighed as he watched Kratos get onto the stage and sit at the desk, _Poor guy. I really did hit a nerve there…_

By now, the rehearsal had started. Raine was helping out with the lighting effects while Genis was running the music. There was a ghostly theme playing while Raine put on the greenish lights. As the curtain pulled back, Regal was revealed with a rarely-seen maniacal look on his face.

"Hello everyone…I hope you had a safe journey here…"

Diana sighed out of relief, _So far so good…_

"…I am here to tell you the story about a miser named…Scrooge…"

Raine placed a spotlight on Kratos, who was working at his desk. Regal (Marley) went on to explain his own and Scrooge's past. As the play went on, Diana smiled to herself; this play would be perfect…

((A/N: Sorry, can't give away too much about the story, so you'll have to wait until the actual performance to find out how the play actually goes. In the meantime, let's peak into the actors' private lives…))

Genis caught sight of Presea leaving the cathedral, and before he could think rationally about it, turned to his sister, "Hey Raine? Can I go on ahead of you?"

Raine turned from Mithos, with whom she was in deep discussion about ruins from his time, "Alright Genis, but don't stray too far!"

He eagerly bounded outside, but forgot to put on at least his coat.

"Hey Presea! Wait up!"

Presea turned around from the balcony where she was sitting, "Genis? What are you doing out here without a coat?"

Genis turned red at this, probably both from embarrassment and the cold. Presea smiled at this, however, and took her coat off.

"You can wear it if you want."

Genis shook his head, "Uh…no thank you Presea. I don't want you to get cold because of me."

Presea tilted her head to the side and smiled again, "Genis…you're nice."

Genis turned red…again, this time from blushing, "Uh…th-th-thank you Presea…"

They stood there in silence for some time until Genis dug up the courage to talk again, "Uh…you want to go and get some hot chocolate?"

"Okay."

All this time, a certain half-elf's sister was standing at the window, grinning at this scene, "When will you ever learn just how _obvious_ you are…?"

Yuan finished putting his mittens on and turned to Kratos, "You sure you don't want to come?"

Kratos nodded, "I have spent far too little time with my family. Go on ahead, Yuan."

Yuan shrugged as he left the cathedral and walked out to the cold. The snowflakes that never seemed to cease falling here only made Yuan flinch a bit. Most people would smile at the sight, and think of the beautiful memories that came along with it. This was true for Yuan to some extent; the memories were beautiful, but they only hurt him more as time went on.

He caught sight of Presea and Genis walking over to the inn and sighed, _Young love…how innocent and pure it is…_

…_like the snow…_

Yuan shook his head as though to clear it, _No! Reminiscing about her will not help you! Think about something else for a change!_

"Excuse me sir, but did you drop this?"

Yuan turned to find a girl in her late teens handing him a ring. Recognizing it, he took the ring and placed it back on his hand, "Yes it is. Thank you."

The girl smiled knowingly, "You miss her, don't you?"

This took Yuan by surprise, "Wha-what did you mean!"

She smiled again, "You were watching those two and sighing. You also don't like the snow, do you?"

Yuan's eye twitched slightly, "Who are you and how come you are stalking me!"

She laughed, which made Yuan smile. He didn't know why, and why it even made him smile, but that laugh was so familiar to him…

"Come and sit down." She gestured to a bench, "I bet you'll feel better once you've gotten it off your chest."

He obliged and before he could restrain himself, was spilling everything that had been on his mind to this stranger.

"Her name was…ah, let's just call her Mary for now!"

"Okay."

"She was a great girl…we had a lot of fun together…but then…"

"Yes?"

"She died."

"Oh no…"

"Her brother went ballistic, and was pretty much on his way to the nuthouse, but then he died too."

"Sounds pretty bad…"

"But lots of guys end up getting over it, don't they? They meet some other girl and pretty soon it's a thing of the past. But when an acquaintance of my friend tried getting me to meet more girls, her face would pop up at me, and I just couldn't bear to go with someone else. And then there's the snow…"

"What about the snow?"

Yuan sighed and relayed to her the memory that had been haunting him:

"_Yuan! Come look at the snow!"_

"_Not now! I have to finish this-"_

_Before he could finish his sentence, she grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face the window. _

"_Beautiful, isn't it! Get your coat on, we're going outside!"_

"_But-"_

_Forgetting to get him his coat too, she dragged him out and laughed as the snow fell on her head, "Yuan! It's snow!"_

_He dusted the snow off his arms, "Yes, I know its snow. Now may I please go back inside?"_

"_Not before we build a snowman!"_

_Yuan, truthfully, had never built a snowman before, so she did most of the work while Yuan 'helped'. After sticking a carrot from inside where its nose would be, she smiled, "Look Yuan! Isn't it perfect!"_

_He smiled at that even more perfect smile, and once again, not being able to control his impulsive self, he seized her in his arms and kissed her. _

_The snow continued to fall gently, adding to the mood, until he felt her lay her head on his shoulder, "I love you Yuan…"_

_He felt like the happiest man on earth, "I love you too…Martel…"_

_Too bad it couldn't last._

"So then what happened?"

Yuan looked at his knees, "Half-elf haters had recognized us. We fought them, of course, but…she didn't survive."

The girl sighed, "I'm sorry, Yuan-san. If there's anything-"

Yuan shook his head, "It's alright. I…can live through it…"

He got up from the bench, and the girl followed suit. She reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hey, if it makes you feel any better; I lost the one man I love that way too. Just to let you know you're not alone."

She made to leave but Yuan stopped her, "Wait a minute! So you're a half-elf too?"

She nodded, "Yes. I am."

Yuan then also realized that in all the time he had been speaking to her, he never once learned her name, "What's your name?"

She smiled a very familiar smile, "Don't you remember? I'm Martel."

Smiling at his astonishment, she waved at him as she faded into the cold night air.

A/N: Okay, sorry if this one wasn't all that funny; but it WILL get better! Trust me, I'm not one to wallow in any sort of sorrow, and that will remain true for my fanfics! The only thing I'm not certain of is when I'll next be able to update, but I'll try to do so as soon as possible!


	3. The First Messup

A/N: Hey all! I'm back/cough/ Anyways, this story is going to have to stretch beyond Christmas, but I hope you don't mind! After all, the meaning of Christmas is to spread joy:) I got some new ideas Friday during Tech. Ed. due to my fellow students wanting to 'change' our teacher's (A.k.a. Scrooge) 'humbug' attitude into a Christmas-ish one. And, I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I'm still grounded TT. The good news is that I'm still sneaking on! Okay, my note is longer than usual, so I'll start with the reviewers now:

**Sargent Snarky:** Yeah, I like seeing Yuan hyper; but it's this time of year that reminds people of this kinda thing, where they get all emotional and stuff… /sighs/ It's all around me…and then people call me an insensitive jerk when I pull some stunt to get people to laugh…Anyways; sorry, still grounded, but still sneaked on again! And yes, I survived the dodge ball assassination, thanks for your concern:) Like I said before, I don't know how Martel died, and now that I think about it, her 'death' sounds a lot like Zelos's mom's death…oh well!

**StrawberryEggs:** Yeah; well, in this form, Martel is a _little_ bit unrecognizable since she didn't want him to recognize her immediately. But yes, this one will be more comedy-related so enjoy:)

**freakyanimegal456:** Okay, hope you enjoy it:)

And for those of you who didn't review, Merry Christmas:)

**And now, for the disclaimer!**

**Diana: Because I was playing Fire Emblem today, Eliwood shall disclaim!**

**Eliwood: Um…I don't recognize any of these people…are they the enemy!**

**Diana: - -; Uh…no. Just read off this piece of paper.**

**Eliwood: Seems simple enough. /takes paper/ "Diana Artemis Irving does not own Tales of Symphonia, _A Christmas Carol_, or Fire Emblem. Neither is she the owner of Godiva Chocolates, even though she wants its ownership for Christmas too…"**

**Diana: Thank you. You can stay and watch the show if you'd like!**

**Eliwood: That's an excellent idea! Lyn! Hector! Serra!**

**Diana: 0.0 NO! Not Serra! She'd-!**

**Erk: …I took care of her…**

**Diana: - -; Uh…okay…we'll leave it at that…**

**Serra: (In Diana's locker) Hello! Can anybody hear me! Get me out! I'm starting to smell like moldy cheese!  
**

The TOS cast says Merry Christmas:)

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Lloyd! Get out of the shower! You've been in there an hour already!"

Lloyd groaned, "Okay mom!"

He heard her sigh, "Meet me at the cathedral, the production's going to start in half an hour anyways…"

25 Minutes Later

"OH CRAP! IT'S IN FIVE MINUTES!"

Lloyd hopped into his costume and caught sight of Kratos going out the door with his wig under his arm.

"DAD! WE'RE GONNA BE LATE!"

Kratos stared with a straight face at Lloyd like usual, "We'll get there in time…if you promise to never speak of this again…"

"What is it?"

Kratos brought out a round-shield sled from behind him, causing Lloyd's face to brighten up, "ALL RIGHT!"

Without another word, Lloyd got on the sled in front of Kratos and helped him shove off. They accelerated down the slope towards Flanoir, the wind freezing both their faces. The hill they were going down was rather steep, so Lloyd had to hold onto the sled as opposed to raising his arms like he felt like doing. Still, he yelled.

"WHOO! THIS IS 'DA WAY TO GO!"

When the sled whooshed into Flanoir, it didn't stop. It even seemed to be…hovering…

"Dad? Are you-?"

He looked up to see that he was right. Kratos had his wings out and was flying, holding onto the sled with Lloyd sitting in it below him.

He cracked what almost seemed to be a smile, "Now is this the way to go?"

Lloyd didn't know if Kratos had smiled, but he smiled back anyways, "Yeah! It is!"

"Where could they be! The show starts in two minutes!"

Diana was running around backstage, clipboard in hand, "Anna! Didn't you leave with Kratos and Lloyd?"

Anna shook her head, "No; Lloyd was still in the shower, and Kratos couldn't find his costume. Apparently Lloyd and Genis wanted to play a prank on him…"

Diana peeked through the curtain and groaned, "We've got a full house…they better get here quick!"

Lloyd and Kratos landed in front of the cathedral and ran inside, skirting the congregation area that was packed full of people. They finally reached the backstage area, to run into a relieved Diana, "Thank goodness you're here! Now quick! Get into your places!"

As she ran off to give the Sage siblings some last-minute instructions, Lloyd tapped Kratos on the shoulder, "Hey dad?"

Kratos turned, still not completely used to being called 'dad', "Yes?"

Lloyd smiled, "Thanks for the ride here. You're the best dad ever."

Kratos, to Lloyd's complete disbelief, smiled, "…thank you."

As he crossed the stage to sit down at his desk, that one comment made him glow with a happiness he never thought he was capable of feeling.

The curtain rose on Regal and Kratos, rather like the scene that was described last chapter. Regal began by giving some background information, such as his character's and Scrooge's past as partners.

"And as you can see; he was too cheap to repaint the sign that displayed 'Scrooge and Marley'. Clients would address him as either 'Scrooge' or 'Marley', and he would answer to both. It didn't matter, as long as he had his money."

By this point, Raine had changed the lights from a spooky green to a daylight-ish color. Regal stepped offstage as he was done for now, revealing Kratos and Botta on the stage. Botta was playing Mr. Cratchit ((A/N: I think I forgot to mention that in the first chapter…)) so he was trying to warm up his hands by a small candle.

"Cratchit! Do not waste time attempting to warm your hands! Where are those papers that you promised me!"

"Um...yes sir! They're coming sir!"

Diana's eyes widened when she saw that Botta wasn't acting. Sure, Cratchit was supposed to be nervous, but she could tell that Botta really was nervous, which explained why he slightly botched his last line. But then, in his haste to finish 'the papers', Botta ended up knocking over the candle.

_NO!  
_

Kratos stood up, "Put it out!"

Botta started stamping on the papers that had incidentally caught fire, right when Kvar and Magnius came in for their cue.

Kvar decided to ignore this little incident and allowed Botta to deal with the small fire on his own, "Good day to you sir! Do I have the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Marley?"

_I hate Diana for this. I would NEVER speak like this in reality!_

Meanwhile, Diana was stressing; Kvar and Magnius weren't supposed to come on yet! Lloyd was supposed to do his scene, and then the other two; but at least he realized this and would come on later...would he...?

He didn't.

"Uncle! Merry Christmas to you!"

_NO! How are they going to do TWO SCENES AT ONCE?  
_

"Bah, humbug! You take you and your 'merry Christmas' out of here immediately!"

Diana was close to tearing her hair out, _NO! Kratos, you idiot! You don't say that yet!_

"But Uncle, I wanted to invite you to come to Christmas dinner with us."

_Well...at least that line was in slightly logical order..._

Meanwhile, Kvar and Magnius continued with their lines as the do-gooders; but had the common sense to direct them to Botta, since Kratos was busy with Lloyd.

Unfortunately, this made no sense whatsoever...

"No! I will not donate to your charity!" Botta, at a loss for what to do, took on Kratos's lines, and was giving the impression of being an uncharitable character like Scrooge.

"But sir, it's Christmastime! Surely you have money to lend to the poor and sickly!"

"I don't, but that guy does. Shake him down and see what you get."

_WHAT! Botta, your character DOES NOT talk like that!_

"Okedokie then!" Magnius turned to Kratos, "Sir, would you happen to have any spare change? It's Christmastime, and the poor and sickly have no means of celebrating, or even living!"

"Bah! Why would I want to spend Christmas with you and your wife! Why did you even get married!"

"Because I fell in love, uncle!" Lloyd cried.

At this very moment, Colette heard this backstage and blushed, causing Genis to raise an eyebrow, then snicker evilly.

"And no! I will not donate to your charity, so leave! And do not ever darken my doorstep ever again!"

"Okay then! C'mon Kvar, let's beat it."

_I am going to kill those two..._

"But uncle, surely you have a heart! Won't you come spend at least a few minutes with us? My wife would surely want to meet you!"

"Good afternoon."

"Won't you at least wish us a Merry Christmas?"

"Good afternoon."

"Merry Christmas then, uncle."

"Good afternoon."

As Lloyd turned to leave the stage, he stopped by Botta's desk, "Merry Christmas to you too, sir!"

"Go easy on him, he's getting on in his years, and he's lonely. But I believe, that deeply, he wants to meet with you, but his pride won't allow him to."

"Truly then? Ye must be a better Christian then myself...whatever that means."

_Lloyd!_

"Well...see ya!"

"Yeah."

As Raine lowered the lights on that scene, Diana could be found chewing out Kvar and Magnius, and Lloyd hiding behind his top hat. Unfortunately for them, the other actors, and Diana herself, this wouldn't be the last of the incidents. And this night was far from over...

A/N: So...ye like? Heh, I've got the curse of the Old English...Anyways, it might seem a bit weird that long after Christmas is over this will still be going on, but hey! Since when hath I been deemed as normal:D


End file.
